Chapter 63: Jetania

NORTHERN OCEAN

DEPTH 2419 METERS

DARASTRIXI LONG RANGE MEDIUM CRUISER

“Who is he Oracle?” Loras asked.

Nilantha turned from the large potted plant that she had been trimming, one among the rows along the edge of the empty Promenade of the Archive of Knowledge and Hope. The Teleporter was on the other side of the row of plants sitting idle Loras saw. Nilantha brushed her hands together several times and looked at Loras.

“Who is who child?” Nilantha asked her.

“You know who I speak of Oracle. I...” Loras began to speak.

“Loras Ranev, my name is Nilantha.” She spoke reaching out to take her arm. “I am not The Oracle to you and I would ask that you use my name.”

Loras shook her head quickly. “I could not.” She said softly.

“Why? You wield far more influence among our people than I ever will Loras.” Nilantha told her. “You have ascended to a position that no female, Alpha or otherwise, has ever held among the packs here on Jetania.”

“Among the Mountain Packs perhaps, but not all of our people are like the Mountain Packs.” Loras said.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Nilantha answered. “Those who resist change are the ones most likely to be swallowed up and passed by when that change occurs.”

“You ... you say our people.” Loras spoke evenly. “But you are not one of us.”

Nilantha smiled at her, her emerald eyes twinkling in the light. “I became one of you the day that I came to this world with your people Loras.” She spoke almost proudly. “And I would not change that for anything in the universe now. My people, the Darastrixi people, we were overbearing and arrogant at times because of the technology we wielded. We were also very rigid in our ways. We probably still are. Very much like the Pralor people once were. Being here among our people, among all of you, it changed me forever. I may not have Lycavorian blood in my veins Loras, but I am Lycavorian in every other manner one could possibly think.”

Loras stared at her for a long moment. “I suppose that is true.” She finally said. “How could ... Nilantha how could all this exist?” Loras asked. “These images? These paintings and drawings?”

“Do you doubt what your eyes tell you?” Nilantha asked.

“I have never ... I have never told anyone about my vision Nilantha. No one.” Loras spoke in almost a whisper. “I was ... I was only nineteen years old.”

“And how many times did you have this vision?” Nilantha asked her.

Loras looked at her. “Three times.” She said softly. “The night ... the night that pig Osrod claimed me. I was nineteen then and that was the first. The night Warim claimed me and...” Loras’ eyes grew slightly wider. “The night I gave myself to Hagoth for companionship. I was lonely and...”

Nilantha nodded her head. “And why do you think you have only had this vision three times?”

Loras shook her head. “I do not know.” She answered. “It was only those three times. Never again.”

“And how many men have shared your bed in that same time Loras Ranev?” Nilantha asked her.

“There have been only ... only three!” She gasped her eyes going wide as she looked at Nilantha realizing what she was saying.

“And what do you think this means child?” Nilantha asked her with a gentle smile.

Loras looked at her. “What ... what you are suggesting is...”

“What do you think I am suggesting?” Nilantha asked with that twinkle in her emerald eyes. She took Loras’ hand in hers. “Let me ask a different question.” She said. “Lon gostina Aspion aside, for everyone knows you did not care for him, did you love Warim Ranev Loras? Truly love him? The same love that I see from your eyes in that painting for a man you have never met?” Loras looked almost embarrassed and she did not answer for fear of giving away her true feelings. Nilantha smiled for Loras’ silence told her all she needed to know. “You cared deeply for Warim Loras, this was obvious to everyone. Deeply enough to give him strong and healthy children and be a loyal wife and mate to him. But in your heart of hearts, in your spirit and resonance, did you love him completely?”

Loras finally shook her head as she met her eyes. “No.” She answered in a whisper.

“This young man in the painting, he was the reason?” Nilantha asked.

“Each ... each time I had the vision was when I was taken by another ... and what I felt was beyond anything that I have ever experienced.” Loras told her wistfully. “An aura that made me shudder in uncontrollable desire, but an aura that did not affect my mind. It did not cause me to ... it did not cause me to lose control of what I wanted and revert to the base instincts of our people. It ... it swarmed around me, protected me, and showered me with love so ... so staggeringly powerful that I have always...”

“You have always held out a part of yourself in the hopes of discovering that one day?” Nilantha said.

Loras nodded her head. “Yes.” Loras looked at her. “You know who it is don’t you?” She asked.

Nilantha met her eyes and nodded her head after a few long moments. “I do, yes, and you know exactly who he is as well Loras Ranev. You have always known Loras. Since the day you entered this world child.” She told her softly smiling at her. “I know because of what Dadrien of the Mountain has told me when he has appeared to me, and recently the spirit of Sumar himself. And no, I will not tell you his true name for you already know his name. You have already had it whispering in your mind since you were a child. A powerful and honored name, with a rich and diverse history that goes back millennia.”

Loras looked at the deck of the ship as that name popped into her head once more. The same name she had heard since she was old enough to remember. Loras lifted her head once more and looked at Nilantha. “Achilles.” Loras whispered the name.

Nilantha nodded her head and she took both of Loras’ hands in hers. “And I will tell you why you must never reveal this to anyone or let them hear you speak that name.”

Loras shook her head now. “No. I know why. I know ... because if I know, I may do something to facilitate finding that ... finding him before it is preordained. Before it was meant to be.”

Nilantha smiled once more. “Simply put ... but essentially accurate, yes.” She said. “But there is also another reason, one far more sinister in nature that I will tell you now. You must understand Loras Ranev, the Mard Revik, the Tarivuos, his family, they care nothing for the trappings of power. They resist it at every turn of the clock. They want nothing to do with it. If it was within their power, they would throw it all away without a second thought. The entire family is like this Loras, the Tarivuos and the Mard Revik most of all. Yet this is the very same reason that so many follow them without question. Without doubt. You will see this for yourself in the coming days.”

Loras looked at her intently. “Those who do not wish power or control are most often the ones that can change the face of everything that we know Nilantha.” She said softly.

Nilantha nodded her head. “Yes they are. There are those, even among their own Union, who do not want the Mard Revik and his family in power. They fear them. They fear the osan and ekino that they wield so easily. They wrongly believe that it should be theirs. Just as Osrod and those who follow him believe.”

“War is coming isn’t it Nilantha?” Loras asked softly.

Nilantha shrugged her shoulders. “Again ... perhaps and perhaps not. It will depend on what Osrod does I think. Those who follow the Mard Revik have fought injustice since their very inception. They will not tolerate it on any level. Slavery, the archaic abuse of our females in many ways, the ridiculous notion that half breeds are an abomination, all of these ideals they have fought and crushed beneath their boots as they have built their Union. If Osrod thinks to bully or cajole these men and women, he will find them to be very unreceptive and they will push back, violently if necessary. As I have told you before, any one of them is worth three or more of Osrod and his fools. Their training is brutal and sometimes deadly, yet they embrace it as part of who they are. It is part of who they are.”

“This Spartan culture you spoke of?” Loras asked.

Nilantha nodded her head. “Family, honor, love and their people. These are what matters most to the Mard Revik and those who follow him. That is where you come in Loras. You and your son and so many others that follow you.”

“Me?” Loras asked her with wide eyes. “Lazar? What do you mean?”

“The Mountain Packs are the closest to the Mard Revik and what those who follow him believe and how they act.” Nilantha said. “You will see this for yourself soon enough. They are unyielding in their core beliefs Loras. The true reason you must never speak of your vision to anyone besides me or Taris is because, should our enemies discover this, there are those who will do everything within their power to stop it, in their Union as well. Including but not limited to killing you.”

“But why?” Loras pressed her.

“It is simple really, what your son begins, you will seal forever.” Nilantha told her. “The day he enters this world you will feel him, this young man in your visions, and this will seal the unification of every Lycavorian in the universe as one. No matter where they may be.”

“You said he would be King.” Loras spoke softly.

“And one day he will be King. And you will be his Queen.” Nilantha spoke with a nod.

“I do not wish to be a Queen Nilantha.” Loras told her.

Nilantha chuckled softly and squeezed her hands tightly. “And you will have that in common, for he will not wish to be King.”

Loras rolled her dark eyes. “Carians allon coi sy malda.” She commented. (Gods this is so crazy)

Nilantha laughed softly and nodded her head. “It certainly is.” She said. “Do not fear Loras Ranev, the day that he comes for you is nearing. As I said, when he enters this world you will feel it, and he will feel you Loras. Even from across the stars. It is all he will feel, until the day he arrives here and claims you as his.” Nilantha said.

Loras Ranev felt a warm flush cascade through her body when Nilantha said that and it was wonderful to say the least. To know such love and devotion was something she had always dreamed of. She blinked several times as she realized what Nilantha had said and her eyes grew slightly wider now. “Enters this world?” Loras spoke softly. “Are you saying he has not been born yet?”

“Does this knowledge make a difference to you?” Nilantha said.

Loras shook her head without even thinking about it. “No. Why should it? Warim was a thousand years older than me.”

“Just know this Loras Ranev.” Nilantha said. “He will come for you no matter how long it takes, and nothing will stand in his way. Just as his father will be the one to insure that this happens and not even know it. This young man will take you and make you his and you will scream to the moon and heavens in happiness. He will worship you beyond anything that you can understand now. Just as his father worships his mothers. He will...”

“Nilantha how do you know all this?” Loras asked her. “How could you know all of these things?”

“The Etheric Realm is all encompassing Loras Ranev. It surrounds us everywhere.” She spoke evenly waving her hands all around her. “Every living thing is touched by it in some form or manner. However, the gene that allows those who can manipulate it, control it, this is beyond infinitesimal. That is why I was blessed by Dadrien and then Sumar in what they allowed me to see and share with them. They granted me this gift in a fashion. I am nothing when held to the Mard Revik and the Heralds and many of those within their family but I am able to sense flashes of immense power within the realm. The Pralor Sumar was the most powerful Etheric user in the entire universe until he passed on and his direct descendants have surpassed him in many ways because of the passion and emotion within them, that fuels them, and they will teach you and the others to experience this as well.”

“Are you saying all Lycavorians have this ability?” Loras asked stunned.

Nilantha nodded her head. “The Etheric ability yes. The Praetorian gene as they call it and the knowledge to recognize and use it, no?” She answered. “The gene is so rare that it is a wonder it still exists, and given what I know, no one among our people here on Jetania have it. We have had no interaction with anyone who carried this gene for our people left Lycavore long before Sumar ever went there. It is stronger within you, within Taris and Anoria, this Etheric resonance. A few others among our people here. That is why you and they are able to have these visions. I would guess that there are many more who have had such visions but are fearful to talk of them because of the society that Osrod’s bloodline has cultivated. One of fear and deceit and self-empowerment at the expense of others. The Lycavorians of the Union, they have long outgrown such childish tendencies. Their Union is vast Loras, trillions of lifeforms of countless species. Since the return of the Mard Revik to them, even before, they have worked to improve the lives of their people. All of their people. That is why they will not tolerate it.”

“They will force their ways upon us?” Loras asked defensively.

Nilantha shook her head quickly. “Oh no.” She replied squeezing her hands. “They will force nothing on any others, but they will choose not to interact with those like Osrod and any others who willingly think like him or follow him. If Osrod forces a confrontation, if he does something to provoke them, they will respond. Many of them, they are the foremost warriors in this galaxy Loras. They have fought since their inception and they are so very good at it. They have never started a war Loras, but they have finished them. Osrod Aspion will regret the day he joined this world if he acts in this way.”

The soft beeping alarm began to sound drawing her attention away from Loras and up towards the ceiling of this level.

“Nilantha?” Loras prodded her as she began to look around and see lights beginning to blink all up and down the seemingly endless level. “Nilantha what is going on. What is that noise?”

“Taris Ranev!” Nilantha hissed out just before Taris appeared beside Loras like a ghost with almost no sound, startling Loras to a small extent.

“I am here Oracle.” Taris exclaimed.

“Take my other hand child.” Nilantha spoke and Taris complied instantly. “Hold your breaths.” She said just before they were engulfed by the Teleporter and instantly appeared in another part of the enormous ship.

Loras was looking around in utter wonder at the transition and did not sense Taris break away from her. She took in the many screens and monitors and computer stations and kept turning until she saw Rylin and Omrad sitting at two different stations and Taris moving into a third. Two other stations were also occupied and filled by a young man and woman that Loras did not recognize. It appeared to be some sort of Control Center Loras thought to herself, like the bridge of a ship. Loras watched as Nilantha moved to a massive holographic image of the stars.

“Rylin, is that what I think it is?” She asked.

“We are checking Oracle.” Rylin answered as her hands flew over the controls in front of her. They were controls and computers that looked so foreign to Loras but that Rylin, Omrad and Taris were now using without thought.

“Contact confirmed!” Omrad declared finally. “Small transport craft! Still several hours away but...”

Nilantha turned to face him. “Omrad?”

He looked up at her with wide eyes. “I’m detecting a Phased Quantum Fusion power source Vomir.”

Taris looked up from her position. “I confirm that Oracle. A Phased Quantum Fusion drive.”

Nilantha looked confused. “That doesn’t make any sense.” She said quickly. “Such a small craft?”

“What is happening?!” Loras spat. “Quantum Fusion Drives are not possible! Even I know that! What you speak of is impossible.”

“This is the Oracle’s ship Loras.” Rylin spoke looking at her as her hands continued to work the console in front of her. “Would you have believed that this ship existed without seeing it for yourself? There are sophisticated sensor nodes scattered throughout the planetary sector designed to detect ships or personnel with advanced technology or Etheric abilities when they enter this area of space. These sensor nodes have detected such a ship entering the sector. The Mard Revik and Vada Tarivuos have very advanced ships and star drives Loras. They have come from the Alpha Quadrant.”

Loras’ eyes nearly exploded from her head when she heard this. “The Alpha Quadrant!” She gasped in disbelief.

Omrad shook his head now. “This ship is not showing up on sensors.” He stated quickly. “It triggered the Etheric detectors Oracle. It is hidden from even our sensors.”

Rylin looked at him. “Omrad, in order to trigger the Etheric sensors, the individual or individuals would have to be above Category Seventeen.”

Omrad nodded his head. “I know. I only telling you that it was the Etheric detectors and not the normal sensors that picked up the ship.”

Rylin looked at Nilantha. “Oracle ... there are only a handful of Etheric users classified as above Category Seventeen. All of them are among the Mard Revik and his family. That would mean...”

“Omrad can you determine what Category?” Nilantha asked him.

“Based on the strength of the signal, Category Eighteen easily.” Omrad answered. “And there is more than one of them.”

“More than one?” Nilantha gasped.

“The Etheric Sensor Grid does not discriminate Oracle.” Omrad said. “You know this. Based on the strength of the signal there are at least two Category Eighteens on this ship and another two or three Category Seventeens.”

“It is wrong.” Nilantha spoke once more shaking her head.

Loras looked at Nilantha now. “Nilantha? What is wrong?”

“Something isn’t right.” She said. “It is not enough.”

“What do you mean Oracle?” Taris spoke excitedly. “This means they are coming! We have detected one of their ships! Members of the Mard Revik’s family!”

Omrad shook his head. “No Taris. It is too small to be a scout ship. And we have always known they would arrive in great numbers with large ships, with the Mard Revik and the Tarivuos at the head of this fleet. This is something else and it involves members of his family.”

Nilantha turned slowly as she stared at the holographic star chart. “Something is not right.” She said again. Her head moved around looking at each of them and her emerald eyes came to rest on Loras. “And it centers on your son Loras.”

“Lazar!” Loras gasped aloud.

VENTORI

The clearing had filled with the PREMONITION, two STRIKER DTs, one KADEN transport, and at least a dozen highly pissed off dragons. Most of those dragons were, at the moment, attempting to keep two of them calm in the midst of their rage. Miath had been among the first to arrive on the scene, Mara only a few seconds behind him, both of them having detected the horrific emotions from their Bonded Ones. It had taken Torma, Isheeni and Elynth to keep them at bay, added support coming when Ryner and Ladur arrived on scene seconds later, and finally the whole of the Leonidas family on the planet descended upon the clearing.

SPARTAN ONE had taken to the sky only a few minutes before and quickly jumped out of the system, engaging its Shroud Shield while it was climbing into the upper atmosphere. SPARTA’S WRATH was the only ship capable of tracking it for the few seconds it had been in the atmosphere and then it had jumped away, leaving no trail to follow. Aricia now rested on the ground, Atropos’s upper body in her lap while she stroked the head of her older brother, For’mya only a few feet away with Calyb in a similar position. Duewa was slowly moving her hands over Atropos’ upper body, the white glow of her healing power very active.

The KADEN Heavy transport had been carrying the seventy-three Durcunusaan from the Reactionary Division on board the KINDRED SOUL when it diverted here at the first alarm that was sounded, and now those Durcunusaan troops had encircled the clearing on high alert while the medics among their group were moving among the bodies trying to save any of the twenty plus Ventori Lycavorians that had been gunned down.

Those among the first to arrive would later comment that it was an eerie calm they all felt in the small clearing. All of the Leonidas family were standing very close to one another, all of them staring at the sky above where the STRIKER had disappeared from view, with Androcles, Dorian, Deion and Denali touching their father in some fashion as if giving him added strength. No one spoke, for their officers had been very clear in their orders, a Queen and two Princesses of the Union had been taken, and heads were going to roll for this fuck up. Unknown to the men and women now in the clearing, they had nothing to fear in the least, for the two men who they most feared would unleash their anger at this complete and absolute lapse in security, they only blamed themselves and no other.

Daniel Simpson however, he knew exactly what to do. He stepped off the ramp of the STRIKER before it had even touched the ground, Anuk and Nayeca exiting the ship right after him. Danny carried the large, cylindrical tube like item in his right arm as two Durcunusaan officers moved up to his position as his long legs carried him towards his brother.

“General we...” The officer began to speak but Danny waved him silent.

“Captain ... you lock this entire area down as tight as a virgin’s prize!” Danny hissed at the man angrily. “I want Durcunusaan on all four corners of a twenty kilometer box with this clearing as the center and I want it done five minutes ago! Once the corners are set, you pour as many troops into this box as you need to in order to sweep the entire grid. Turn over every anse stone! Look in every nubous cave! Under every bush! There are others in this box and I want them found! Including the ship that they came in on.”

“Rules General?” The Captain asked.

Danny stopped walking and looked at him. “Do I have to answer that question Captain?” Danny spoke. “Whoever they were they took one of our Queens and two of our Princesses! You move heaven and motherfucking earth and you make this happen!”

The man nodded his head and his chest swelled with purpose. “Consider it done, sir!” He barked before sprinting off in the other direction.

Danny felt the hand on his arm and he looked to his right to see Anuk beside him. She looked up at him with her cerulean blue wolf eyes, the tips of her fangs exposed just under her upper lip. “You find these men Daniel.” Anuk told him sternly. “You find them and you show them that what they have done was the biggest mistake they could have ever made.”

Danny drew her tight to his side, Nayeca pressing close behind her. Daniel and Nayeca knew how tightly bound Anja and Anuk were. They had been family and close friends for over two decades now and working closely together they had built the Union Medical Corp into the single largest, most advanced and most efficient organization of its kind in anyone’s history. As Daniel Simpson’s wives and mates, Anuk, Nayeca and now Kesyla were just like their beloved husband, and they were considered part of the Leonidas family and they were spoken of in the same breath.

“Help Duewa Baby.” Daniel told her as he leaned over and nuzzled her elven ear. “Calyb and Atropos trust you and they will listen to you. Do what you are good at and let me and Nubian do the dirty work.”

Anuk nodded and stretched up on her booted feet to kiss him lovingly. She turned quickly and jogged over to where For’mya sat with Calyb in her arms. Danny turned to Nayeca and her amber eyes lifted to meet his. “Keslya?” He asked.

“Keslya is our wife and mate now and she is no fool Daniel my love.” Nayeca told him with a smile. “She knows what our skills are, she knows what we do, and she loves us more for it.”

Danny nodded his head. “I know.” He said softly. “I just don’t ... I don’t want her to see what we do if we can avoid it.”

Nayeca smiled and kissed him now as well. “Do what you must.” She told him. “I will see about helping the Durcunusaan here to search the surrounding area. Reports are that they saw a body fall from the ramp before it lifted off completely. That means there has to be a body somewhere. Maybe we can learn something from it.”

Danny nodded and watched his beautiful Drow wife turn and moved for the nearest group of five Durcunusaan troops. She would take command of that group of men and women and they would go hunting. Nayeca Simpson was a Drow and a wolf, and while she was not a pureblood Drow as Lu’ria was, she had all of their skills and she was lethal. Daniel turned once more and looked back to the small gathering of Leonidas children standing around their father. It had grown by one he saw, as Murano had now arrived and he did not look in the least bit happy. He turned briefly as he heard another transport STRIKER come in low and he watched as it flared above the ground and set down gently and then Gorgo, Dasha, Dynina and Sarlana exited the craft. Once they had moved far enough away, it rose back into the air and sped off in the direction of Discovery Base. He turned back to where Martin stood and then covered the shorty distance to where Duewa was working on Atropos and Anuk was now scanning Calyb. He knelt on the ground at Atropos’ feet and he turned his head to look at him.

“They came from downwind Daniel.” Atropos spoke sitting up a little higher in Aricia’s lap. Lilika would arrive in minutes and take her place Atropos knew. “The opposite direction of where their ship was. Calyb detected them first. A hint on the wind when it shifted.”

Daniel nodded his head. “We didn’t expect this.” He spoke looking out over the clearing and the bodies. “This fucking stunt took a special kind of stupid to attempt.”

“They succeeded Daniel.” Atropos pointed out.

Danny met his eyes. “And now they are going to pay for that.” He spoke.

“How many Uncle?” Calyb asked now, for he was only a few feet from him. “There were twenty-nine in this group.”

Daniel shook his head. “Seventeen dead, five wounded if the reports are accurate Mandri. The rest must have already made it onto the STRIKER when they hit.”

“Their training is good.” Atropos spoke. “With only Calyb and I checking the perimeter at different times they got too close for us to react.”

“They shot you in the back Atropos! In the back with no warning!” Aricia gasped angrily. “They shot Calyb in the chest! If not for your armor you would be dead! They acted like nubous morons to do this!”

“Andro did warn us their arrogance was extensive sister.” Atropos answered her. “We should have left the normal security for Anja in place.”

Danny shook his head. “We will not second guess ourselves now! We all agreed that this was the way to do it.” Danny spoke now causing Duewa to look at him oddly. “We knew the risks. Martin and Anja most of all.”

“Our own arrogance and overconfidence is the reason for this.” For’mya hissed now. “Once the Svorag were defeated and Andro’s forces were here, we shifted our focus too quickly to helping others. This is the result.”

Duewa was no fool by any stretch of the imagination and she realized what they were all talking about. “Wait a minute!” She snapped. “You knew this would happen? You allowed Anja to be taken?!”

Danny glanced at her quickly and then back to Atropos. “Back to Discovery Base for both of you.” He ordered them. He lifted his hand as Calyb began to open his mouth to speak. “No discussions boy!” He growled. “We’ll take it from here and then make a plan! Your father and brother are on it and believe me, they are not taking this well at all.”

“Answer me Daniel!” Duewa barked again. “You knew this would happen?”

Danny met her eyes. “Duewa you are...”

“Go Daniel.” Aricia spoke now. “For’mya and I will answer her questions. Kinosaurgai is correct. We acted impulsively and with our own arrogance. That will not happen again.”

Danny nodded his head and rose to his feet immediately. As nearly everyone across the Union could attest to, the number of individuals who could walk right up to a gathering of the Leonidas family and act as Daniel did could be counted on one hand. Daniel Simpson was the most beloved Uncle of all the Leonidas children for he was their father’s Mard Fervon, and while Daniel would never admit it was so, Atropos and Andreus would say them same thing. He was family to them, and to those who bore the name Leonidas, family was all important.

When Daniel burst through the rank between Andro and Martin all heads turned to look at him as he jammed the end of the Mark Two Neural Booster into the ground and he looked at his brother.